GHANA HIGHWAY AUTHORITY

INDUCTION TRAINING REPORT

SURVEY AND DESIGN DIVISION

ROSE ABELIA

(TECHNICIAN ENGINEER)

4th SEPTEMBER 2017– 5th JANUARY 2018

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE..............................................................................................................................................1
1.0 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................1
1.1 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE..........................................................................................................1
CHAPTER TWO - SURVEY SECTION…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2

2.0 INTRODUCTON……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….2

2.3 PROCESS OF ROUTE LOCATION.........................................................................................................3

CHAPTER THREE - GEOMETRIC DESIGN.......................................................................................................5
3.0 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................5
3.1 DESIGN PARAMETERS........................................................................................................................5
3.2 ROAD ALIGNMENTS DESIGN..............................................................................................................5
3.2.1 Horizontal Alignment..................................................................................................................6
3.2.2 Vertical Alignment....................................................................................................................11
3.3 INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN SOFTWARE..........................................................................................14
CHAPTER FOUR - DRAINAGE DESIGN.........................................................................................................15
4.0 INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................15
4.1 DESIGN PROCEDURES......................................................................................................................15
4.1.1 Hydrological Analysis................................................................................................................15
4.1.2 Hydraulic Analysis.....................................................................................................................17
APPENDIX 1 – GEOMETRIC DESIGN...........................................................................................................19
APPENDIX 2 - DRAINAGE DESIGN..............................................................................................................20

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CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Survey and Design Division is one of the divisions under the development department of the
Ghana Highway Authority. The division is responsible for Carrying out field surveys and
topographical details of proposed road location, geometric design of roads, drainage design and
review (vetting) of designs.

This report is based on knowledge I acquired during my four months induction training with the
division. During this period, I was taken through Route Location, Geometric Alignment Design,
Drainage design, Introduction to the Civil 3D Design software.

1.1 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

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CHAPTER TWO – SURVEY SECTION

2.0 INTRODUCTION

Surveying is the first step of starting any new civil Engineering Design in Highways, it is a very
important section in the Survey and Design Division.

Surveying is the Science and art of marking all essential measurements to determine the
relative position of points or physical and cultural details above, on, or beneath the surface of
the Earth and to depict them in a usable or to establish the position of points.

Survey also includes the technic of establishing points by predetermined angular and linear
measurements.

2.1 FUNCTIONS OF THE SECTION

1. The first point of call when a road needs to be constructed or designed is to locate
the road. This is achieved by studying aerial photographs and topographical maps of
the area which can be obtained from the Survey Department.

2. The Survey Section is often involved in the placement process for the Highway. This
requires a survey of the existing terrain to find the best route.

3. The GHA Survey section is practically concerned with the areas where a road is to be
constructed, noting to what level and grade.

4. Often the goal of the Survey section is to determine the appropriate route to collect
the survey data for the Engineers to use for designing the road.

5. The Survey section also assist Engineers in mapping of optimal routes, this includes
grading (slopes), curves and creation of drains and other features along the highway
route.

6. The section provides an input on the location of bridges, tunnels and drains and also
monitor the highway Construction process to ensure they are located correctly.
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7. They also ensure that the road is align with the plans, grading, leveling and thickness
have been verified before the Contractor continues with the next stage of
construction.

2.2 ROUTE LOCATION PARAMETERS

Before a highway alignment is finalized in highway project, the engineering surveys are to be
carried out. The various stages of engineering surveys are:

1. Map study: this gives a rough guidance of the route to be further surveyed in the field.

2. Reconnaissance Survey: this is to confirm features indicated on map, to examine the

general character of the area in the field for deciding the most feasible routes for detailed
studies and to collect additional details.

3. Preliminary Survey: this is to survey the various alternative alignments proposed after the
reconnaissance and to collect all necessary physical information and detailed of
topography drainage and soil.

4. Final location and detailed surreys: this is to finalize the alignment at the design office
after the preliminary survey is to be first located on the field by establishing the
centerline and transferring the alignment on to the ground.

2.3 The aim of a location survey is to select a route with the following point in mind

 Undulations e.g. mountains and hilly terrains should be avoided as much as possible.
 Too many river and stream crossings should also be avoided.
 Places of rapidly changing contours should be avoided to prevent too many cuts and fills.
 The cost involved in constructing new bridges and culverts should be taken into account.
 The subsoil in the area should be checked, if it would be economical to put the road at
that location. Avoid the need for deep cuttings and expensive tunnel construction.
 Try as much as possible to locate the route close to sources of construction materials to
minimize the cost of haulage of construction materials during construction.
 In rural areas locate route of the new highway on existing ones, so as to minimize the loss
of farmland and to reduce the total initial and maintenance costs.
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 To minimize drainage problems, select a location on high ground in preference to one in

a valley.
 Keep highway from cemeteries, places of worship, hospitals, and school playgrounds.
 Consider the effect of the highway on present and future utilities above or under the
ground.

2.4 PROCESS OF ROUTE LOCATION

During route location, the following steps are taken:

 Locate the possible routes on the topographical sheet, tanking into accounts some of the
parameters listed above.
 Undertake a field survey to check if the topographical sheet depicts what is actually
happening on the ground.
 Build pillars along the side of the road making sure the pillars are intervissible and should
not be too close to the road to prevent it from being cleared off during construction.
 With a known national get the coordinates of the points using the GPS.
 Get the Easting and Northing coordinates of the pillars using the total station or the GPS.
 Use the total station to take levels of the control pillars.
 Carry out detailed survey making sure that all stations and features which will have
influence on the design are captured.
 Detail the road, taking points of features along the road. Take 25m interval and extent of
30m along the road.
 Finally plot the information collected and then the road is ready for design

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CHAPTER THREE - GEOMETRIC DESIGN

3.0 INTRODUCTION
When a highway route is located, then comes the need for the road to be designed. Geometric
design is a planning process of selecting all the physical elements of the road. Geometric design
does not involve the structural design of the road but the visible features of the roadway. It
includes; vertical and horizontal alignments of the road. The GHA Road Design Guide is the
document used by Engineers in the Authority and Consultants for the design of trunk roads in
Ghana.

The GHA road design guide ensures that:

 Minimum levels of safety and comfort for all road users are ensured in any design
 The design is economical
 Uniformity is maintained in alignments, drainage and other road facilities designed.

3.1 DESIGN PARAMETERS

Some of the parameters governing the design are as follows:

 Functional classification (be it national, regional or inter regional road)

 Topography or terrain (be it flat, mountainous or hilly).
 Design speed
 Design Vehicle
 Project scope
 Traffic volume (for number of lanes and intersection design).

3.2 ROAD ALIGNMENTS DESIGN

The objective of alignment design is the safety of motorists and economic design of the road in
terms of constructional costs, ease of construction and maintenance costs. Proper alignment
design will certainly reduce the number and severity of road traffic accidents while ensuring high
traffic capacity with the minimum delay of vehicles. Alignment design also hopes to achieve a
road facility that blends harmoniously with the topography of the terrain.

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3.2.1 Horizontal Alignment

The horizontal alignment of a highway is a series of straights joined by circular curves. This is
the aspect of the road in the horizontal plane or plan view. A horizontal alignment must be
balanced to provide a continuous operation from a straight to a curve when driving at the design
speed.

3.2.1.1 Horizontal Curve

The following are the types of horizontal curves:

 Simple curve – curve with one radius
 Compound curve – two or more curves that move in the same direction with different
radius. The difference in radius should not be more than 1.5. Compound curves are used
when we are restricted by topography.
 Transition curve – a curve with changing radius. The purpose of transition is for smooth
steering, super elevation and aesthetics. It should take a minimum of 2seconds to traverse
a transition curve.
 Reverse curve – two curves moving in opposite direction with different radius just like a
compound curve.
 Hair pin curve – it is used when the two terrains are almost parallel. It is used in cases of
difficult terrain.
 Broken back – two curves in the same direction separated by a short straight.

SIMPLE CURVE IP

θ θ
2 2
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Where, θ = the angle of deflection

E = the external distance (the perpendicular distance between the IP and the curve).
IP = Point of intersection of the two tangents.
 The external distance E, is given by the equation;
External distance (E) = ¿ , where R = radius, θ = the angle of deflection
 E =230 ¿.
 The minimum curve length Lc, is given by the equation;
πRθ π x 230 x 59
LC = = =237 m
180 180

CURVES WITH TRANSITIONS

The shift criterion is used for curves that require transitions. The minimum shift (S) is 0.2m. If
S > 0.2m, requires transition. For ∆ = 59o, R=230m and V=80kph

IP 0+540

AD E

S Ts1 Ts2 S s

Tp1 ∆−2 ∅ s Tp2

∅s ∅s

∆∆
2 2

Where,
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Tp1 = Start of first spiral Ts1 = End of first spiral

Ts2 = Start of first spiral Tp2 = End of first spiral
Lc = Length of circular curve AD = Apex Distance
E = External distance S = Shift
IP = Intersection point of the two tangents
C = Distance from Tp1 to point of shift or Tp2 to point of shift.

The formulae and procedure for determining the various parameters are provided in the GHA
design guide.

3.2.1.1.1 Practical Example 1

During my training at Survey and Design I was given an assignment to determine the chainages
at TP1, TS1, TS2, and TP2 using a design speed of 80kph, deflection angle of 32 o. The IP
Chainage is 1+246. Distance between IP Chainage and High Tension Pole (HT) is 30m distance
between HT and road centreline is 12.15m. Details are provided in the drawings below.

1+246 320

30m

TS1
TS2

TP2
TP1
HT

3.65m 2.5m 1m 5m
m
HT

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External Distance, E = 30m – (3.65m + 2.5m + 1m + 5m)

= 17.85m

∆
From the GHA Design Guide, E = R (Sec - 1)
2

32
= R (Sec – 1) = R (Sec 16 – 1)
2

= 0.04R

>>>> 17.85 = 0.04R

R = 446.25m

From Design Guide, Desirable Radius, R = 430mm

3
0.06 V 3 0.06(80)
Length of Spiral, LS = = = 71.44m
R 430

R ∆π ( 430)(32)(π )
Length of Curve, LC = – LS = – 71.44 = 168.72m
180 180

2 2
LS 71.44
Shift (S) = = = 0.495m
24 R 24( 430)

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LS LS
TP to point of Shift (c) = - = 35.7m
2 240 R 2

∆
Apex Distance (TS) = (R + S) (tan ¿+c = 159.14m
2

CHAINAGES

TP1 = IP Chainage – Apex Distance (TS)

= 1246 – 159.14 = 1087m

= 1 + 087
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TS1 = TP1 chainage + Length of Spiral (LS)

= 1087 + 71.44 = 1158.44m

= 1 + 158.44

TS2 = TS1 + Length of Curve (LC)

= 1158.44 + 168.72 = 1327.2m

= 1 + 327.2

TP2 = TS2 + Length of Spiral (LS)

= 1327.2 + 71.44 = 1398.64m

= 1 + 398.64

3.2.1.2 Super-elevation Runoff

The centrifugal force associated with a vehicle moving in a circular path requires that the
roadway be “balanced” or super elevated to overcome this centrifugal force. Super-elevation is
the banking of a road section to counter balance the centrifugal forces acting on a vehicle in a
curve.

A super-elevated transition is the sum of the tangent and super-elevation run-outs. A tangent run-
out is the length of road between a normal cambered sections (start of super-elevation) to the
adverse crown removed section (section with zero crown). A super-elevated run-out starts from
the zero crown to the fully super-elevated section and vice versa. The Camber or Cross Slope is
the slope along the width of the road surface. It is provided to enable water to be removed
quickly from the surface of the roadway into the side drains.

The tangent run-out is given by the formulae;

en
LT = x Lr where en is normal camber and emax is the maximum super-elevation.
e max

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The normal camber or cross slope must ensure easy drainage of road surface water and safety of
running vehicles. This is thus related to the kind of surface adopted for the design. The normal
camber of a carriageway is 2.0% for a concrete surface, 2.5% for an asphaltic concrete surface,
3.0% for a surface dressed and 4.0% for a gravel surface.

There are three ways of achieving the super-elevation:

 By rotating it about the center of the road
 By rotating it about the left edge of the road
 By rotating about the right edge of the road

V2 1
Considering the formula R ¿ , it means that R ∝ , so the bigger the radius the smaller
127(e +f ) e
the super-elevation and vice versa.

SUPERELEVATED SECTION
6 6

3 3

0 0
1 + 051.28 1 + 087 1 + 122.72 1 + 158.44 1 + 327.2 1 + 362.92 1 + 398.64 1 + 434.36

-3 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3

-6 -6

OUTER EDGE INNER EDGE

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3.2.2 Vertical Alignment

The vertical alignment is made up of grades and curves. The vertical alignment should provide
adequate sight distances over crests and should not present any sudden hidden changes in
alignment to the driver.

3.2.2.1 Vertical Alignment Design

Vertical alignment is the profile of the road when a transverse/longitudinal section of the road is
taken, and it consists of vertical curves and straights (known as tangents). Vertical alignments are
designed by selecting suitable grades for the tangent section and appropriate vertical curve
length. A vertical curve is used to transition between two consecutive grades.

3.2.2.1.1 Types of Vertical Curves

The two types of vertical curves are symmetrical and unsymmetrical curves. Each one of them is
made up of crests and sags.

 Crest curve – a curve is said to be a crest curve when the algebraic difference of the
grades is negative. i.e. g2 – g1 = -ve.
 Sag curve – a curve is said to be a sag curve when the algebraic difference of the grades
is positive. i.e. g2 - g1 = +ve.

The minimum grade should be 0.4% to aid longitudinal drainage. The maximum grade is based
on the design speed, the design vehicle and the sight distance. It is also dependant on the
availability of funds.

Curve length = KG,

Where, G is the difference in gradients (g2 - g1) and K is the rounded K value.

For crest curve the K factor has been designed base on the sight distance. For sag curve the K
factor has been designed base on drivers comfort.

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VIP

CREST
+G1 y e
C
-G2
A e H
B
BVC

EVC
x

x
EVC
BVC

B
A e
SAG
-G1 y
e +G2

VIP

The figure above shows a Symmetrical Vertical curve (crest and sag curves)

Where:

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e – Offset from Vertical Intersection Point (m)

L – Half Length of Vertical Curve (m)
G1, G2 – Gradients of two tangents (%).
x – Distance from Beginning of Vertical Curve (m)
y – Tangent offset at a distance ‘x’ (m).

3.3 INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN SOFTWARE

AutoCAD Civil 3D design software is a software used for geometric design among other things.
During my training in survey and design I used the AutoCAD Civil 3D to design the Asuoya
road.

The following steps were followed during the design;

 Formatting of survey data
 Importing points
 Building a surface
 Creating a horizontal alignment
 Creating a surface profile
 Creating a vertical alignment
 Creating an assembly
 Building a corridor
 Creating typical cross sections
 Presentation and plotting of drawings
The plan and profile of the final design is shown in appendix 1.

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CHAPTER FOUR - DRAINAGE DESIGN

4.0 INTRODUCTION
The number one enemy of the road is water, therefore in order to promote the longevity of the
road, adequate drainage should be provided to channel the water away from the road.

Road drainage may be classified as follows:

 Surface drainage
 Ground water drainage
 Slope drainage
 Drainage of road structure

Surface drainage removes water from the road surface.

Ground water drainage intercepts ground water or seeping water, this reduces ground water
level.

Slope drainage removes water from surface of cuts or embankments and protects the slopes
against seepage.

Drainage of road structure removes backwater of retaining walls (that is weep holes) and surface
water of bridge deck.

During my training at Survey and Design, I undertook a drainage design on the Asuoya Road
Project as submitted in Appendix 2.

4.1 DESIGN PROCEDURES

There are two procedures involved:

 Hydrological Analysis

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 Hydraulic Analysis

4.1.1 Hydrological Analysis

All drainage structures are sized in accordance with the probability of occurrence of a peak
discharge (Q) during the design life of the structure’s installation. This discharge is termed the
peak runoff and it is directly related to the frequency, intensity and duration of rainfall events
occurring upstream of the structure.

The peak runoff is calculated using the rational formula; this formula uses the theory that if a
rainfall of average intensity (I), falls over an impervious area (A), then the maximum rate of
runoff (Q) at the outlet to the drainage area is given by;

Q= 0.278CIA

Where C, known as the runoff coefficient shows the fraction of rainfall that flows on the surface
of the ground.

4.1.1.1 Hydrological Analysis Procedure

 Locate the road on the map of Ghana

 Locates its longitudes and latitudes
 Use the topographical summary sheets to decide which toposheets to purchase.
 With the aid of the contours demarcate the catchment area for the areas where there is
river crossing the road
 Measure the area of the catchment with the digital planimeter.
 Measure the mainstream length with a thread
 Find the highest and the lowest contours of the stream i.e. H2 and H1 respectively.
 Measure the chainages at the start of the catchment, the end of the catchment and where
the stream crosses the road.
 Find the time of concentration Tc.
58.5 L
Tc = where L = mainstream length, km,
A 0.1 S 0.2
A = catchment area, km2

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H 2−H 1
S = slope (m/km) =
L
 Select a design return period.
 Using the time of concentration and the return period, find the intensity, I.
 Calculate the catchment runoff QR, Q = 0.278 CIA, Where C is coefficient of runoff, I is
intensity (mm / hr) and A is the catchment Area (km2).

4.1.2 Hydraulic Analysis

4.1.2.1 Hydraulic Design of Open Channels

In estimating the capacity of an open drainage structure, the Manning’s formula is used. The
manning formula relies solely on the channel characteristics which can easily be measured (the
area (A) and hydraulic radius (R) of the channel).

Manning's formula is:

Q=n-1AR2/3S1/2
where:
Q = discharge (m3/s)
A = cross sectional area of the channel (m²)
R = hydraulic radius (m), (area/wetted perimeter of the channel)
S = slope of the water surface
n = roughness coefficient of the channel.

Thus for a channel to perform efficiently its hydraulic capacity should exceed or equal the
maximum runoff from the catchment. This is mathematically represented as;

Qhydraulics ≥ Qhydrology or

(n-1AR2/3S1/2) ≥ (0.278CIA)

4.1.2.2 Hydraulic Design of Culverts

Culverts are designed based on which end controls the discharge capacity. If the inlet controls
the flow the design is termed “Inlet Control”, however if the outlet controls the flow the design is
termed “Outlet Control”.
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4.1.2.2.1 Inlet Control

For inlet control, the entrance of the culvert determines the culvert’s capacity. This means that
the culvert barrel is capable of conveying a greater discharge than the culvert will accept.

4.1.2.2.2 Outlet Control

For outlet control, the tail water depth (depth of flow just downstream of culvert outlet) is just
high enough to affect headwater depth. This means that inlet is capable of accepting more flow
than the barrel and/or the downstream flow will permit, thereby outlet controls the flow.

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APPENDIX 1 – GEOMETRIC DESIGN

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APPENDIX 2 - DRAINAGE DESIGN

 Hydrological Analysis
 Hydraulic Analysis

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